197. Telegram From the Embassy in Jordan to the Department of State1

1442. Subject: (S) Oral Message to President Carter From King Hussein.

1. S-entire text

2. King Hussein called me to palace today, March 6, and made following presentation which he allowed me to take notes on.

3. King said he had received news of President Carter’s forthcoming visit to Egypt and Israel and King wishes “as a friend to the U.S.” to convey his “deep concern” if there is any possibility that U.S. is contemplating concluding a mutual defense agreement with Israel. King said he knows this idea has been under consideration in U.S. from time to time and recalled that Sadat himself has mentioned subject in the past.

4. King stated that, as a friend, he believes taking such a step before there is a withdrawal of the Israelis from the occupied territories and a resolution of the Palestinian problem would be “an unwarranted slap in the face of the Arab friends of the U.S.” King said that he hopes and prays this surmise is not correct, but indicated that the gravity of the issue in the absence of any substantive information from the U.S. thus far on the President’s forthcoming visit had caused him to wish to register these views. He had thought of writing a letter to President Carter but has instead chosen this means in view of the short time remaining before the President’s visit.

5. I attempted to draw King out further on background to his concern but he declined to elaborate.

6. In reply, I said that I would convey his message immediately but indicated that I had no information whatsoever to indicate that a U.S.-Israeli mutual defense treaty is under consideration. Although the U.S. has not released any information regarding the substantive issues of the current negotiations, I noted from press accounts that there have been denials by U.S. officials that security agreements were under consideration. I then went over with the King the White House announcement2 of the President’s visit and mentioned White House spokesman’s statement that in our judgment President’s trip offers the greatest hope for success of current phase of the peace negotiations.

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7. King Hussein seemed somewhat comforted by this presentation, but reiterated that he certainly hoped his fears of a possible U.S.-Israeli security agreement were unfounded.

E. Comment: I recognize that time is short before forthcoming visit and that we necessarily wish to minimize discussion of substantive issues outside of actual negotiations. However, anything that we can provide King Hussein on forthcoming visit, particularly in reply to his concern over issue of U.S.-Israeli mutual security agreement, would help make King and GOJ more receptive to other substantive aspects of the negotiations during President’s visit.

9. Suggest Department repeat this message to Cairo and Tel Aviv.3

Suddarth
  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P840166–2555. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Sent for information Immediate to the White House.
  2. See footnote 2, Document 194.
  3. The telegram was repeated in telegram 55254 to Cairo and Tel Aviv, March 7. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, N790002–0508)